Farewell, Men of a Certain Age

Updated on July 26, 2011

Why dump the good and keep the crap?

Goodbye to Men of a Certain Age. I am stunned that TNT Network cancelled the Peabody award-winning show, a wonderful comedy-drama about three college buddies who are now middle aged men seemed to struggle to build an audience in its two short seasons. That is due in large part to the geniuses at TNT putting the show on in the latest possible slot on their prime time schedule and then changing nights.

Men of a Certain Age was created by Ray Romano and Mike Royce. Romano co-starred along with Scott Bakula and Andre Braugher. The show consisted of 22 episodes.

Romano played Joe Tranelli, a party store owner who struggled with a gambling problem, an ex-wife, two teenage son and daughter. Bakula played Terry Elliott, a struggling actor who was starting to realize his lifestyle was better suited for a younger person. Braugher, (who puts on an acting clinic every time he steps in front of the camera) played Owen Thoreau Jr., the heir apparent to his father’s car dealership, a man trying to balance his work and family life with an increasing list of health problems.

Each episode dealt with life issues. There were no big explosions or car chases or catching of bad guys or voting someone out of the house, the island, or the show.

Men of a Certain Age won a Peabody Award for excellence in its rookie season. Andre Braugher earned two Emmy award nominations for his acting.

But TV is not about awards. It is about the lowest and quickest denominator to turning a profit and small audiences are always viewed as the death knell to any show that endeavors to be true to itself and not pander.

I still have a slight hope that some broadcast entity would pick up Men of a Certain Age because it still had much to offer. I won’t hold my breath.

If you like good acting, easy to follow, compelling stories, you owe it to yourself to catch this show in streaming or on DVD. You'll be glad you did.

I’ll remember Men of a Certain Age for having made me laugh and tear up all in the same episode, some times in the same scene. It was that good.

I probably am a bit too sensitive about liking the characters because I am the exact same age as the main characters. To that end I can plainly tell you that Men of a Certain Age’s subject matter definitely seemed difficult to tackle.

Men of a Certain Age was a wonderful but realistic reminder that getting older is definitely not for sissies.